Peter Black releases another statement on Top-up Fees....yawn....

I have just finished reading Peter Black AM's letter in the Western Mail concerning the Lib dems policy on Top-up Fees. Its just typical of the likes of Peter Black to go all out for the student vote as soon as he sniffs an election! He must think to himself, 'what can I do 4 months before an election? Oh, I'll try and get the student vote! I know, I'll mention fees! That'll get them!'

The letter is totally absurd in that he is 'challenging other parties to tell students where they stand (on fees)'. Why do you need to challenge us? Plaid has always campaigned against tuition fees and top-up fees, mainly through student groups at Universities across Wales, and through Student Union representation. While I was President of Aberystwyth Guild of Students, I was one of those who led the campaign against the introduction of top-up fees in Wales. If it hadn't been for us, the lobbying of AM's wouldn't have happened. The NUS Wales Labour posse were far too prepared to sit back and let fees be introduced in Wales, for fear of stepping on the toes of their beloved Jane Davidson.

The fact of the matter is that Plaid believes in free education, and are looking at new ways of funding Higher Education. We need to address the funding gap between English Universities and Welsh Universities, and continue to oppose top-up fees in Wales. Of course we can take the fight to Westminster again, but surely now that the Assembly has shown an example by taking a stand against fees, we can use that to our advantage to campaign on a Welsh level? Must everything be Westminster based?

I know that there are key figures in the Lib dems in Wales that are in favour of fees if only because they believe that there are no realistic alternatives. But we can't give up on the campaign for free education.
If Peter Black wants a challenge after that, I'm happy to oblige!